What will IBM's Acquisition of Randori Mean for Cybersecurity?

Mergers and acquisitions help drive the business world forward. Those that take place in the cybersecurity industry are no exception. Cybersecurity firm Momentum reported that M&As in cybersecurity hit a whopping $77.5 billion in 2021. Around 14 mergers and acquisitions amounted to $1 billion, including deals involving Proofpoint, Avast, Mimecast, and McAfee, among others.

Another major player in the cybersecurity landscape is IBM, which recently announced plans for an upcoming acquisition. Below, learn more about IBM's acquisition of Randori, what this deal means for the future of IBM, and how it will impact the cybersecurity sector.

IBM Announces Plans to Acquire Randori

At this year's RSA Conference (RSAC), IBM announced plans to acquire a leading attack surface management (ASM) provider and offensive security company Randori, based in the Boston area.

Randori seeks to help clients understand what external facing assets they possess, on-site or in the cloud, that attackers may see and prioritize exposures that come with the most risk. IBM acquired Randori to streamline its threat detection and improve its response solutions portfolio.

Additionally, the deal is expected to bolster IBM's Hybrid Cloud Strategy, which provides plenty of business benefits to all types of clients, such as cost-effectiveness and more value compared to a public cloud-only approach.

Before IBM announced this acquisition, Randori secured more than $30 million in Greenhill, Meijer and FirstBank funding. One benefit of Randori's ASM solution is that it is a "hacker-led" company. Clients will experience an authentic cybersecurity incident during simulations. From there, Randori can assist clients in determining previously unknown exposure points that could lead to a data breach and negatively impact their business.

What This Means for IBM Moving Forward

There's no denying that companies are grappling with an expanded attack surface. Cybercriminals are also growing to be more sophisticated — some have even __harnessed the power of AI __to launch their attacks.

One beneficial aspect of IBM's acquisition of Randori is timing. IBM recently joined hundreds of other companies and suspended business activity in Russia due to the country's recent attacks on Ukraine.

IBM also began laying off employees in Russia in what's being called a "wind-down" of operations. The U.S. federal government also responded to Russia's attacks with punitive economic sanctions, targeting vulnerable industries, including banking and financial systems, oil and gas businesses, and the technology sector.

As per IBM's announcement, the company plans on integrating Randori's ASM software with the extended detection response (XDR) capabilities that come with the IBM Security QRadar. Insights from Randori's software will feed into the QRadar XDR. Security teams will gain more visibility for threat hunting, incident response and intelligent alert triage.

Additionally, it's expected that Randori's offensive security solution will complement X-Force Red's leading hacker lead offensive security services, another benefit rooted in IBM's acquisition.

How Will the IBM Acquisition Impact the Cybersecurity Industry?

Combining IBM's deep AI and threat intelligence expertise with Randori's solutions could help provide more cybersecurity solutions to clients and deliver better protection from cyber incidents.

Mike Beck, global CISO at DarkTrace, says, "CISOs want solutions that prioritize cyber risks and autonomously harden their environments…businesses are in a constant state of flux and…operational risks are not static. Risk assessment and subsequent hardening must be done in real-time, which is only possible with an AI-driven approach."

When companies can leverage the latest digital tools, powered by AI, machine learning, or another emerging technology, to improve their AMS, they're less likely to experience downtime or face critical data breaches lessens. It's vital to take a preventive approach to cybersecurity and managing potential attacks.

Consider how beneficial it is for a company to see attacks from the cybercriminal's perspective. With the acquisition, IBM's solutions may become even more valuable to the modern company, regardless of industry.

Other IBM Acquisitions

Aside from the Randori deal, IBM has acquired three other companies this year. The company is looking to boost its hybrid cloud services and deliver superb AI capabilities to its clients.

IBM acquired Sentaca to help them prepare for the 5G era, which is expected to revolutionize the tech industry and provide more use cases for other sectors, such as health care and consumer electronics. The company also acquired Neudesec, a leading Microsoft Azure consultancy firm.

In January, IBM acquired Envizi to assist organizations with sustainability initiatives and achieve environmental goals. This specific acquisition could not be any more timely, considering how the climate crisis is a significant issue many companies and the countries they operate in are concerned about.

IBM: A Juggernaut Company

There's no doubt that IBM is leveraging its power and success to acquire companies and improve their goods and services. Before the Randori deal, its acquisitions were diverse. They sought to achieve unique outcomes, from the 5G tech revolution to addressing climate change.

It will be interesting to see how IBM moves forward with Randori and other acquisitions in cybersecurity. It seems as though IBM is making great strides to help its clients achieve their goals, protect themselves and prepare for the world to become even more digital.